At the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) in Morgantown, West Virginia, 6 different administrative law judges (ALJ) conduct Social Security Disability (SSD) hearings and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) hearings. Currently, in Morgantown, the average wait time for a SSI or SSD hearing is 19.0 months. The average case processing time in Morgantown is 597 days.The Morgantown average for winning a SSI or SSD disibility hearing is 36%. Click on the name of one of the ALJs below to see detailed information about their hearing results. This information for the Morgantown ODAR office was last updated on 9/7/2016.

LATEST COMMENTS
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I want to understand how my case was denied when the occupational therapist himself said there was "ZERO" JOBS FOR ME AVAILABLE,with my limitations then how did I get denied my 5th time..I've proven my case over n over,,this is just not fair,,I think judge Mills. Should find me this so called work I can do with my limitations that WILL pay more then 733.00$ a month...find one for me please

Judge Hall is the biggest joke of a judge I have ever seen. Your case has already been decided before she even meets you. She will ask a few questions in opening and the rest of the time she'll just sit there and do absolutely nothing. I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing during the hearing. Your attorney will have to carry the entire case because she won't ask about anything. Of course when she finally makes her decision she cherry picks a few points in the case and refuse to acknowledge the entire chain of evidence presented. She is an absolute legal joke. Her approval rating is 24% while the national average is 44%. Trust me, your case was decided before she even walked into the hearing.

I have a hearing on Friday the 13th with this judge, I feel like I will not be approved because my disability is not obvious. Can I get some "pointers" or does anyone have any helpful suggestions for me?
Thanks,
A

My case was before you on November 16,2015. You was not fair on my case, you didn't look at the medical evidence, all you worried about was what the doctors said about me. I guess you like a bunch of gossip, Perhaps you spread it around yourself.

Here it is in a "nutshell"...this judge has a terrible approval rating....it is crystal clear to me that he does not listen to any witness testimony at all...he disregards all medical records, he disregards your lawyer testimony, he disregards his own disability doctors, he disregards all the claimants doctors and his own vocational expert...with that being said...how could anyone win a case that is brought before him?...it is clear to me that he already decided on a "denial" before the hearing started...In my humble opinion, his top priority is denying claims no matter what and that is SAD....so very sad that this is how our country and lawmakers treat people who have become medically disabled...the only witness he found credible was the insurance/disability doctor that looked at the records before the hearing (never examined me at all) and stated "that I am not disabled at all and can return to my previous job".....wow.....really? Funny how he listened to her testimony huh? Talk about a scam.....yup that's right....A SCAM

This man was so gentle and kind during the hearing. Very accomodating, and seemed to be a person who listened, and seemed careful to get the testimony accurate. He gets one star for his kindness during the hearing. I received my hearing determination today. Everything I told him I can't do anymore, due to cataplexy (seizure like episodes) he says that I said that I can do these things. This is completely opposite my testimony. Not accurate at all. He even states I'm capable of going to the store on my own and spending time with family. When I clearly told him I can't drive more than about 30 minutes with Narcolepsy and only drive when I'm for fact certain I won't be a danger to anyone. This judge wrote my determination based on, and in his writing, the complete opposite of what was testified. This man obviously has no care for accuracy, or to award benefits to those who really need them. Just another example of our government being complete crooks, and leaving deserving proven disabled folks out to dry. I won a previous hearing in Dallas Tx.a few years prior, but worked as long as I physically could until my condition has worsened immensely. This is a total insult to me, an insult to my honesty, and integrity, and all the years of forcing myself to work because I never wanted to be a man who took handouts. But I expected my paid in benefits to be available in my time of need. The USA just said F-U Tim. Suffer peasant. I've lost every bit of faith in the US Government. We'll see how long it takes for my conditions to get me to mental illness. Then we'll see if I just happen to do anything Rash,or resort to 30 minutes to an hour of violence before I need a nap. Then wake up after an hour or so for another 30 min to an hour madness spree, since I've been fighting this corrupt system for 6 long years now. The Social Security system does not work. It leaves truely disabled people without benefits, yet complete faker , scammers get benefits without hassle at all. A disgrace.

The judge made false statements in my decision, stating that there was a vocational expert present when in fact there was no vocational expert and court recordings will be able to verify that. He used my disability against me in his decision, stating his opinion that tardiness at a work assessment was due to"low motivation towards work goals" when the incident in question was a result of the symptoms I was experiencing. There are false and contradictory statements on every page of my decision letter. He gives no weight to any supporting evidence and based his decision solely on personal opinion of my character. The judge is neither impartial, nor unbiased. It's no wonder his rating of approval is so far out of line with his peers' ratings.

I THINK YOU NEED TO REEVALUATE SOME OF YOUR LAST FEW HEARINGS. BECAUSE, I BELIEVE THAT IF SOMEONE HAS WORKED MOST ALL THEIR LIFE AND ARE UNABLE TO DO SO EVEN AT A BASIC LEVEL DESERVE SSI EXSPECIALY IF THEY ARE DISABLED. I KNOW ANOTHER FRIEND THAT FILED ONCE AND WAS ACCEPTED AS DISABLED AND IS NOW RUNNING HIS OWN SAILBOAT IN THE CARRIBEAN. WHEN I KNOW THAT MY FREIND YOU DENIED COULD'NT EVEN GO FROM STERN TO BOW WITHOUT AN INJURING INCIDENT. I FEEL YOU NEED AN UPDATE FROM 2013. I AM SURE YOU ARE A FAIR AND DECENT PERSON BUT, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.

I went before Judge Hall today and she was very professional and thorough! I have to wait for a decision but the thing I want to note is I was VERY nervous going into the hearing due to people looking down on you because it seems most people's first thoughts are "Oh he just doesn't want to work"! But Judge Hall did not give me that impression at all. I was nervous and upset for no reason. Some of us are truly unable to work and I believe Judge Hall notices that.No matter what her decision is I feel she is an Honest and Fair Judge, and if I'm denied I will appeal it again! I hope this helped someone else who has to go before her, I wish I could have seen a post about her before I had my hearing!!! Lol

Judge has a "God complex". You sir are charged with administering the LAW. YOU do not hold a MEDICAL license. YOU have no right to discredit what a doctor or several doctors state is a real disability to the point where someone is disabled.When a medical team including the IME's state a person is disabled what right does this idiot have to say a client is not? He is a joke and a discredit to anyone who rightfully administers the law. He is not concerned with protecting and upholding the law. He is focused on denying claims (see this clowns track record).When a judge dismisses 49% of all claims halfway through the year (2014) it should be an alarm to the court system that he is corrupt and should be investigated. He is completely clueless on how to do his job and should be disbarred and tried for his dis-service to the American people.

Awful adjudicator with a very poor knowledge of the Rulings and Regulations. His decisions are easy to appeal: they are so full of holes you could drive a Mack truck through them. My advice to you is if you are given a video hearing with this judge, OBJECT. Ask for an in-person hearing at your local ODAR because this man will do you no favors.

Tells you to "present your case" and then interrupts, interjects, cross examines and humiliates the claimant. If claimant's treating source has the audacity to charge a fee for a medical source statement, this judge will use it to discredit the opinions of the treating physician.

Judge Michaelsen was very thorough in his questioning of me. He considered all of my symptoms and their restrictions of my work activity. His decision letter was very precise and informative. I feel I had a very fair hearing. Thank you Judge Michaelsen.

Much thanks to Judge Kostol for her help and patience at my hearing. She asked
very good questions and gave me many opportunities to comment. I was pleasantly pleased....after reading many generally negative comments about the process in general. She was thorough in her explanations and handled the case very well........Thank You, whatever the outcome!

I feel sorry for anyone that has this judge. I received my denial letter after my hearing. He flat out lied in the report to justify his decision. He reported that my daughter(actually niece) no longer has her disability which she does. He also made reference to getting a report from her speech teacher. She has never and still to this day has never had a speech teacher. He also made reference to her being in preschool when she was 7 years old as well as a kindergarten pretest which he did not have because my daughter did not live with me until her second year of kindergarten was half over and she lived in a different state. Will be seeking professional counsel regarding this case.

By your % approved cases, and looking at the other judges largest % denials,
it seems you DO actually listen to people and can understand that they feel
helpless and can't provide for their families which makes low self-esteem also.
People DO WANT to be proud and productive by working and feeling self-worth.
Needing help financially is not easy to ask for (although we've worked for many years..which is why our bodies are broken down in the first place.)
I may have a hearing coming up in this office soon...I hope I can be heard by
you for it is scary to wait so long and be so clinging to the need for financial
help with no chances of benefits. Can other judges even try to put themselves in
our places..we have been trying for 2 years for help..why would we do this if we
could go out and work for money while financial life worsens each week.

Disregarded the opinions of my medical professionals, also no regard for the social security doctors opinions and denied disability. This judge gave no weight to overwhelming evidence proving disability. It is shameful and unprofessional. Looking at his track record he denied almost half of all claims.